So What Now?

One of my all-time favorite movies is Groundhog Day (already alluded to once on this on this blog). It is the story of a weatherman who gets lost in one particular day (Groundhog Day) that continually repeats itself over and again. It is obviously an extended period, because over time he learns how to masterfully carve ice, play professional jazz piano and perform life-saving acts – all on the same day.

With the Easter season behind, a prevailing thought for me is, what now? The chocolate bunnies have been eaten and most of our Peeps (yummy!) have been beheaded and devoured – what do we do with our lives now that we are back to the ordinary?

By way of confession, with celebrations such as Easter, for a pastor the very human instinct is to feel the proverbial ‘letdown.’ In the process one becomes lost in a moment.

For Phil Connors, the main character in Groundhog Day (played by Bill Murray), the point is that he is full of himself, trapped in a world that only has room for what he wants, when he wants it. Sadly, I resonate (ask Katherine – she will confirm). And it isn’t until he realizes that he is on the planet to live for someone other than himself that he begins to accept his strange circumstance, and ultimately find relief from the imprisonment of that particular day (and ultimately, himself).

The resurrection isn’t the end of the Christian’s story – it is the beginning. And only the risen Christ can inform our hearts that we are free from the tyranny of self, and what He will do with the rest of our lives. But because we are unfinished we will always trend towards what is behind us.

Imperfect as it is, the past is safe while the future represents the unknown, and threatens to take us out of our comforts – out of our selves – this can be terrifying. But the risen Jesus invites us to enter into the wild unknown of His hopeful future with the promises that He will be with us (Matthew 28:20), and that He is making all things new (Revelation 21:5). It is an invitation to get over ourselves and find ourselves, all at the same time.

What a relief, and what good news…

peace.

PS I am taking a few weeks to retool and learn some things about blogging and design that will make for some changes. See you then!